Ireland's Leona Maguire to bypass a fourth Curtis Cup, instead eyes turning pro at U.S. Women's Open

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Ireland’s Leona Maguire, a two-time college player of the year at Duke University, twice turned away from the opportunity to earn an LPGA Tour card at the final stage of Q school, in 2016 and 2017, largely out of interest in earning her degree and finishing up school this spring. 
The 23-year-old also had spoken of a desire to play for a fourth time in the Curtis Cup for Great Britain and Ireland when the biennial matches take place this June at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, less than two weeks after the end of the college season.

Rather than use the Curtis Cup as her amateur finale, however, Maguire will skip the event in a hope of making her pro debut at the U.S. Women’s Open shortly after the NCAA Championship in May. 
Multiple outlets in Ireland have reported that Maguire informed GB and I captain Elaine Farquharson-Black of her decision on Tuesday, days ahead of the R and A announcing the members of the eight-woman squad.

“Elaine was disappointed,” Maguire told the Belfast Telegraph. “She’d love to have her strongest team going there in June, but she understood that I have to take this next step in my career.”